Enigma of Broken Border
by SqueamishAnchovies
Summary: Outsiders show up dead in Gensokyo. One hung-over Reimu is on the case! Contains: mild language, fantasy violence, suggestive material (Yuri) with Shipping & Handling.
1. Chapter 1

_ The black gate opened its yawning jaws into the void, its gaping maw swallowing every last sliver of light. Shrill shrieks pierced the night, glutting the darkness with the screams of the suffering._

_ The black gate ate, and vomited its contents upon the shores of another world…_

When Reimu Hakurei awoke, her head throbbed from the memory of a night best left unremembered.

She snored, snorted, and turned over, her legs tangled in the blanket. _Too early. Stupid sun. Go away. Don't make me come up there and blast you out of the sky. I will, so help me!_

Bleary and blurry-eyed, she sat up. The tantalizing taste of sake still tingled on her tongue. Her midnight-black hair was a knotted mess. Her ears rang from the bleak opening monologue.

After she'd passed out at the festival, some kind soul had had the decency to deposit Reimu back on her futon at Hakurei Shrine. How uncharacteristically thoughtful. But who would be sober after last night? She scratched her bum thoughtfully.

It had been Moriya Shrine's dedication anniversary, and _everybody_ was invited—youkai and tengu, ghosts and gods, miko and shinigami. During the festival, paper lanterns, goldfish games, and yakisoba booths cropped up like weeds. The Prismriver Sisters played a live concert, to their fans' delight. Nue stole the show by showing up in a UFO, only to be upstaged when the ground split open and Utsuho popped out with her posse of hell-raisers.

As the crowd swelled, Suika arrived with a chain clenched in her teeth, dragging a barrel of sake the same size as the shrine. The revelers rejoiced. Sake flowed that night like the Sanzu River. Much to Shikieki's disapproval, even Komachi flung aside her scythe for a frothing mug of youkai booze. All night, Sanae fretted and fussed about the drunkards carousing on her holy ground. That was almost as funny as when Kanako started a conga line. It made Reimu chuckle to think of that.

She soon found something else to think about, such as where her clothes were.

A dish clinked in the other room. _The prime suspect emerges…_

"Marisa," called Reimu, retreating further beneath the blanket, "would you come here?"

Reimu heard Marisa before she saw her. The witch whistled a cheerful off-key rendition of some song Reimu couldn't place.

Marisa poked her pointy-hatted head into the room. "You called, Moo?"

"First: you know my name, so drop the cutesy act. Second: for some reason, I happen to be nude. You wouldn't have had anything to do with this, would you?"

"Not to worry, Moo," said Marisa. "If it were my fault, you'd know. Oh, do you mind if Alice stays for a little while too?"

Reimu sighed. "Why do you trouble yourself with that girl?" She fished a hand under the futon, feeling for the source of a specific lump. "She can't cook. She doesn't clean up—I'm _still_ finding doll parts in weird places!—and you know her reputation! She scares away business!"

The witch grinned. "Not to mention, her feet are like ice."

Reimu silenced Marisa with a glare. Marisa shrugged. In a world of mostly girls, what's a frisky witch to do?

Finally, Reimu found a roll of bandages. For today, a _sarashi_ should suffice. Reimu wrapped the thick white strips of cotton over her taut belly. The style didn't appeal to her. It flattered her chest, but flattened her breasts.

"Hand me my spare kimono."

While pretending to face the other way, Marisa tossed Reimu's spare set of clothes, a blue floral kimono handed down from her ancestors. Reimu barely ever wore it because it barely fit.

"Patchy still sends mushy letters, you know."

"Please. They smell like dust and old blood," said Marisa, waving her off. "I'm all for adventure, baby, but spare me the stuffy indoor types. Although there was this one time when—"

"Save it. Teawater hot?"

"Of course. Oh, and I should have mentioned earlier…you have a visitor."

"What?"

Excitement jolted through Reimu. Visitors! Donations! Reimu struggled with the rest of the kimono, shoving her hands through the sleeves and yanking the sash till it tightened. The loose silk sagged on her shoulders. It didn't matter—there was money to be made!

Her oversized kimono hanging from her shoulders like a bed-sheet, Reimu scrambled to the tea room to greet her guest. She quickly composed herself: she shut her eyes, breathed deeply, and mumbled a mystic sutra. Whatever it meant, it didn't cure hangovers. She winced as last night's sake pounded spikes into her skull. She forced herself to relax. Temporarily at peace with the universe, she strode inside.

"Um…"

Her bloodshot eyes flashed open. Scarlet Devil Mansion's green-clad gatekeeper sat in her living room. Feet under the _kotatsu_, hands around a steaming cup of chai tea. She wore the meekest smile Reimu had ever seen.

"Um, hello," said the guest. She fidgeted. "Are you the shrine maiden?"

How many girls did Marisa bring back last night?!

Reimu groaned. She didn't want to handle other people's problems right now. Today had already held enough headaches. But alas, duty calls. Gods never take vacations. Why should shrine maidens?

Greeting the gatekeeper with a (fake) faint smile, Reimu plopped down in front of the _kotatsu_. What was the girl's name again? "So," started Reimu. "I believe we've met. I'm Reimu Hakurei, shrine maiden. What do you need?"

"Hong Meiling." She smiled feebly. "Please remember it."

Reimu nodded. She'd battled this girl before—and if memory served, she was something of a pushover compared to her superiors.

"If you're the shrine maiden, why are you dressed like that?"

"Long story." _Not really. I'd just rather not tell you._ "Why do you need my help?"

Meiling looked at the floor. She twiddled her thumbs. "It happened last night when I…. Do you mind if I make tea while I talk? It relaxes me."

"Sure, whatever you need," said Reimu weakly. She grabbed her kimono before it slipped dangerously low. "Continue."

Humming cheerily, Meiling took the teapot on top of the table and flew through the tea ceremony. True to her word, she talked while she worked. "This morning at the mansion, I was patrolling the grounds. Or I was, until I found something in the garden. Something…terrible…" She paused. "There was so much blood. All the pieces of…humans…"

Reimu's skin prickled. Stories of attacks on humans always made her shudder. She stifled her fear by saying something stuffy. "Violent assaults on human beings are not uncommon," she said. "Moreover, they should have known better than to trespass on the property of the most powerful vampires in Gensokyo."

"I counted seven and a half bodies," said Meiling. "But mostly the stuff that's supposed to be inside bodies. It's currently splattered all over the flowerbeds." She perked up. "Sakuya says it's excellent fertilizer."

How lovely. Drumming her fingers on the table, Reimu replied, "Finding a culprit would be next to impossible. Simply put: too many suspects. I'd sooner have the corpses arrested for stupidity than blame youkai for acting according to their nature."

"There's one more thing."

Reimu stopped drumming to listen.

"Their clothes were strange. And…they carried these weird machines. Mobile phones, they're called? …Reimu, I think they were Outsiders."

Before, Reimu was unsettled. Now, the blood froze in her veins. "You think someone passed through the barrier," she whispered.

Two teacups plunked onto the table. Sighing with the satisfaction of a job well done, Meiling slid her legs back under the _kotatsu_. "I had nowhere else to go," she continued. "Lady Remilia would punish me for making a mess. Sakuya would tell me to clean it up. And Flandre…would drool and get this hungry look on her face…

"Then I remembered the shrine maiden who always gives Lady Remilia trouble. You two seem to get along now, so I went looking for you." Meiling's eyes sparkled. "Sakuya says you even survived an encounter with Lady Flan!"

Reimu chuckled modestly and swept back her hair. "I don't mean to brag," she said, "but it wasn't the hardest thing I've ever done." She considered telling Meiling about her squabble with Yukari or her descent into hell, but ultimately resisted.

"I'll need you to show me the bodies." Reimu threw back her head and downed her tea in one gulp. The hot water scorched her throat. "Then we'll see if they really are Outsiders," she rasped.

Meiling clasped her hands with joy. "You'll go with me to Scarlet Devil Mansion?" she cried. "Oh, thank you!" She hesitated a moment, glancing at Reimu's empty teacup. "Say…I can read fortunes in tea leaves. Do you mind if I…?"

Reimu liked to think she had an open mind. Swords can cut through confusion. One girl can eat history. Everybody can fly. But telling the future from soggy leaf chunks? Questionable at best.

"Go for it," she said. Why not?

Suddenly, Reimu spotted a flash of red—her _miko_ outfit, lying in a crumpled heap on the other side of the _kotatsu_. She glanced at Meiling. The other girl hadn't noticed—she hovered over the teacup, inspecting it from every angle. Straining to preserve her dignity, Reimu stretched her leg underneath the table, toes grasping for her _hakama_.

"It says here you'll be lucky in love."

Reimu's attention snapped back to Meiling. "What?"

From behind the sliding door came a muffled snicker. Reimu seethed. _Eavesdropping, eh? I'll get that wicked witch later, like a…like a…ah, screw it._ Hangovers don't allow much creativity with similes.

"That's interesting," said Meiling. As Meiling read deeper into the tea leaves, Reimu concentrated on stuffing her discarded skirt and shirt into her baggy kimono sleeves. "It also says that you'll enter a conflict with someone you care about very much. After that, you'll uncover a terrible secret, find a friend in the least expected of places, and…" She looked up at Reimu. "Do you feel insecure about your job?"

Reimu sneered. "Are you quite finished?"

Nodding hastily, Meiling spluttered, "Yes, yes, let's go, right away."

"Just a moment." Careful not to let her clothes slide out of her sleeve pockets, Reimu stood up. "I'll join you out front. Let me take care of one thing first."

While Meiling was occupied with cleaning up after morning tea, Reimu slipped into a storage closet and into her proper uniform.

Though Reimu didn't always enjoy being a shrine maiden, the clothes made it worthwhile. _Tabi_ socks hugged her heels and let her feet slide comfortably into sandals. Her crimson_ hakama_ cinched snugly around her waist, its hem reaching to her ankles. The white shirt clamped to her body; if she stretched, it exposed a hint of midriff. The detached sleeves, easily the second-least practical part, flapped imposingly in the slightest breeze. She was relieved that the design let her armpits breathe—after all, who respects a shrine maiden with sweaty pits? Finally, for the least practical part, she tied a bright red bow in her hair—a mark of her femininity, and also of her citizenship in Gensokyo, the land of hats.

This morning, like every morning, Reimu walked alone to the shrine's courtyard. She carried a _gohei_ decked with two fluttering _shide_. Clapping her hands together and muttering an incantation, she summoned the Hakurei Yin-Yang Orbs. Once her ancestral weapons materialized, they hovered close to her as if uncertain what to do next. Reimu spread her arms. There, in the sight of the sun and the gods, she danced. Twenty-seven steps, eighteen twirls, and nine thrusts of the _gohei_, while the Yin-Yang Orbs whirled around her.

The Barrier Dance. Reimu danced every day, in the chill of morning, to bolster the barrier between Gensokyo and the World Outside. She knew the dance forward and backward. This was a secret rite, known only to the keeper of Hakurei Shrine. It had been so for countless generations.

During today's dance, Reimu sensed it—a crack in the wall. If she focused, she could detect a reeking stench and blatting noise. It was as she'd feared. Someone had breached the barrier. And as the maiden of the Hakurei Shrine, Reimu wouldn't rest until she knew who.

She burped unexpectedly.

There, in the sight of the sun and the gods, Reimu Hakurei doubled over and spewed yesterday's lunch all over the courtyard.


	2. Chapter 2

If she flew, Reimu could reach Scarlet Devil Mansion in a matter of minutes, but her investigations never went that smoothly. Meiling couldn't abide flight. At the slightest suggestion, she melted into a quivering heap of motion sickness.

So they walked. Reimu didn't mind. The forests were dappled with lovely autumn shades—the Aki sisters had been busy this year. Meiling whistled a peppy melody Reimu didn't know. Fortunately, she no longer felt like spikes were being hammered into her skull; now, it felt more like an elephant stampede. She swayed as she walked, but tried to disguise it as a swagger.

They reached the gates by noon. It was closed.

Meiling scratched her head. "Oh dear." She rummaged through her pockets. "Lady Remilia will be awake, and I've been missing since daybreak. If I don't attend to her soon, she might think Flandre got loose and found a snack. We lose more of our serving staff that way."

Once she finally found the right key, the gates swung open with a push and a lazy creak. The gatekeeper paused; she turned back to Reimu with a sheepish smile. "I'm sorry, but I only have one job here, and I'd like to do it right. Would you check your weapons at the gate?"

Reimu bristled. She begrudgingly handed over her _gohai_. But as soon as Meiling's back was turned, Reimu blasted a passing fairy out of spite.

The place was bigger than Reimu remembered. The mansion—gardens, grounds, building—reached high into the sky, beyond the boundaries of sensible architecture. More than that, it felt _alive_. In the dark, it lurked; in the light, it loomed. Reimu couldn't suppress how impressed she was. As far as she could recall, she'd never been to the mansion during the day. Then again, at present, she couldn't recall much more than drinking and puking. Her stomach gurgled—she burped discreetly.

Meiling led Reimu through the front doors into the mansion's corridors. Dim, dank, and dour, even at this hour. In a place like this, how did a human like Sakuya...?

"Did you need something?"

Meiling shrieked and leaped a full meter into the air.

Behind them, the maid bore a silver platter of tea and a sour look at the both of them. Sakuya inclined her head. "Reimu," she said flatly. "Your presence here seldom means good news. To what do we owe the displeasure?"

Collecting herself, Meiling stammered, "Well, you see, um…"

"Your gatekeeper told me she found bodies in the garden. Human bodies. Outsiders."

The maid arched an eyebrow but said nothing. She turned a withering glare on Meiling. "And did you clean it up?"

While Meiling whimpered, Reimu cleared her throat. "I need to talk to Remilia. Sometime soon would be nice."

Sakuya's stone-faced mask cracked. A flicker of fear passed behind her steely blue eyes. "Now…may not be the best time. The mistress is in her room, and with her sister…well…snuggling_…_"

"Say no more." Reimu shoved past the maid. Remilia would see her _now_, whether she liked it or not.

Reimu tramped upstairs to the tower bedroom, down a hallway hung with old paintings. She admired the tall oaken door, and pounded her fist on the polished wood. From behind the door came squeaks and squeals and clinking chains. Shuddering, Reimu struggled to strangle her strange imagination.

"Remilia! A word with you."

The noise stopped. There were sheets rustled, curses uttered, and footsteps padded nearer. The door opened a sliver. Remilia, hardly presentable, peeked through the crack. Her body was draped in a bedsheet, her blue hair mussed, her scarlet eyes narrowed in annoyance. "Who let _you_ in?" she muttered. "Shut up. Don't answer—_Flan, that's mine, don't touch that!—_I'll meet you downstairs, after I've had time to compose myself." The door slammed, the lock clicking with finality.

Reimu wouldn't give up that easily. "Remilia, there are human corpses on your lawn. I'd like you explain yourself." No response. "Until I get to the bottom of this, I'm holding you responsible." Quiet.

With no other option, Reimu went after Meiling to the garden. As they walked, the gatekeeper prattled on about how she and where found the bodies, but Reimu wasn't listening. She watched Meiling fuss and fret with private amusement. The girl could look cute when she was worried.

The garden was considerably less cute. Rows of roses intertwined with white tulips, though they were more or less the same color now. Twisted mockeries of human bodies lay sprawled in the dirt. Shredded skin, with white bone peeking through pinkish mush, and prettily-colored innards were scattered over an alarmingly large area.

Reimu had witnessed the aftermath of _youkai_ attacks before, but this was beyond her expertise. If anything were left in her stomach, she'd have heaved it by now.

The wind stirred.

"Step aside, coming through, nothing to see here, ladies!"

A black-haired girl swooped down on black wings, hands holding down her skirt for modesty's sake. Gracelessly, she plopped her feet down in the tulips. She flashed a smile and a camera, temporarily blinding Reimu. The tall dark girl proffered an ostentatious bow. "Aya Shameimaru, tengu journalist, at your service!"

Reimu felt her ironclad optimism plop into a pile of molten glop. "Good to see you, Aya," she lied. Damn Marisa's big mouth.

From somewhere in her white shirt, Aya withdrew her _bunkachou_ and started scribbling in its wrinkled pages. After scanning the scene, she strode toward Meiling, her first victim. "Meiling," she said, too happily and far too fast, "when you found the bodies this morning, what passed through your mind? Was it fear? Guilt? Anger? Ah, sorry, I'm getting ahead of myself—when _did_ you find these dreadful, disgusting, definitely not delicious-looking meat slabs?"

Meiling trembled under Aya's expectant gaze.

Since silence was unthinkable, Aya persisted. "And what did you tell the shrine maiden? You know, _after_ she got totally plastered?" She cackled. Prodding Reimu with her pencil, she added, "Although, if you're available for comment, that's completely different."

Reimu frowned. "Don't you have something better to report on, like the festival?"

"All hail Moriya Shrine," Aya crowed—"they've filled our tabloids for months! Actually, _you _were going to be our top story until this happened. Good timing—the Local News section needed spicing up. The question: who could have done this?!"

Reimu waved her off. "Sakuya mentioned she saw something suspicious last night—a prowler on the grounds. You can ask her about it…inside."

Aya glowed with glee. "A mysterious stranger? I smell a scoop!" Oblivious, she charged into the house in pursuit of the maid.

With a sigh of relief, Reimu knelt to examine the carnage. She plucked a clump of cotton from a patch of thorns, squeezing the tuft of fluff in her fingers, and pocketed it. Clues were clues. Anything would do.

She wrinkled her nose. "It stinks."

"That would be the corpse-flowers."

A high, cold, lofty voice; like chilly wind wafting through a tower. Reimu turned to see the smirking little girl in a frilly lavender dress. Remilia twirled her silk parasol, fangs glinting. She twitched her wings, long and leathery and sinewy. Those things must make daily life immensely difficult, Reimu mused. Sleeping, bathing, changing clothes…

Sakuya stood stiffly by her mistress's side, the end of a chain in her hand. The staid maid led a golden-haired girl in scarlet dress. Flandre Scarlet tugged at her collar, rattling her chains. Fortunately, Patchouli's charmed links held fast. Nobody complained that Remilia treated her sister like a wild beast, especially when it kept Flan from ripping their faces off.

"You smell the corpse flower," Remilia said, "a tropical plant that emits an odor like rotting flesh. However, these bodies are not yet one day old." She licked her lips. "Fresh flesh." Her foot poked a bloody lump. "Look at this, Flan. This was a man."

Flandre cocked her head. "MAAAN?" she repeated. "What's…a man?"

"Nothing but a miserable pile of secrets, dear sister. Never you mind."

Dropping to all fours, Flandre padded over to personally inspect the evidence. Her face split into a grisly grin.

Reimu swallowed. "Remilia, how much do you know about this…thing? Did you see anything last night?"

"This is the first I've heard of it," replied Remilia, shrugging. Then she shrugged off her sister, who had taken to nuzzling her in uncomfortable places. "Not now, Flan, we have guests…"

"If it was _youkai_ doing, there would be too many suspects to name," said Reimu, thinking aloud. She stroked her chin, like a great detective. "Except maybe Meiling. She's too honest for her own good."

"Much agreed." Remilia glared at her gatekeeper. "China! To me."

Wilting, Meiling trudged to her master's side. "Miss, um, I have a name, it's…"

"Irrelevant. Go back and watch the gate."

By now, a sizable crowd had gathered, mostly girls who could fly over the gate and had nothing better to do. Aya had returned from chasing down the maid and was now grilling Mystia Lorelei for anything the birdbrain could tell her.

Remilia raised her voice. "Any of you who don't work for me: get off my property. As you can see, my darling sister is growing quite ravenous. There's no telling what she might do."

_Probably outrun us_, answered Reimu's logical mind. She hated that part of herself—more often than she liked, it was right.

"Fine," Aya sniffed. "I've got my scoop, anyhow. Toodles." With that, she took off. The rest of the crowd dispersed.

"You too, shrine maiden." Remilia held Reimu in an unreadable stare. "You have your shrine duties, don't you? What do a few dead humans mean to you?"

They knew more than they were telling. But not even the world's most powerful vampires, a cowardly gatekeeper, and a time-stopping knife-nut maid could break open the sacred gate. No one in Scarlet Devil Mansion could've done it.

No, not quite. There was one. Patchouli might, but why would she want to? She was always cooped up in her lonely library, scrawling out long lovelorn letters to Marisa. At least she had her assistant to keep her company. (Reimu had heard the devil girl's name once, but promptly forgot; from that point, she called her Koakuma.) They had the knowledge and the power, but who had the _motive_? Reimu chewed her lip.

She announced that she would leave the mansion.

"Goodbye, Reimu," said Remilia with a sinister smile. "I hope you find what you're looking for."

Indeed she did—nothing but more questions. As usual, looking into trouble only led to more trouble. But she would figure this out. Her integrity as shrine maiden was at stake! Now that she'd seen the scene of the crime, she'd go to Youkai Mountain and ask around, looking for clues. That'd be fun.

_Right about now, I could use another drink…_


	3. Chapter 3

The Youkai Mountain—though never at a loss for trees, fluffy animals, and things that shred intruders into bite-sized scraps without offering so much as a good morning—always lacked…something. Was it _atmosphere_? While other forests had weather-worn way-stones and jolly fairy-guides that would lead travelers back outside (eventually), the Youkai Mountain boasted a crooked wooden sign slathered with "STAE OWT HYUMANZ" in bulky, blocky letters—dripping red, no less, which could only raise plenty of unfortunate questions.

Reimu apprehensively approached the _tori _gate at the forest's edge. Leaning on the sign was a witch with a black dress, a pointy hat, and a devilish grin. She did not much improve the forest's décor.

"Marisa," Reimu said tersely. "What brings you here?"

"My broomstick," the witch replied. She regarded Reimu with a critical look. "You look mad at me."

Reimu ground her teeth. "That conversation with my client was private. You told Aya _everything_. Don't you know how much trouble you've made for me?"

Marisa whistled. "You're _grumpy_ today. Get up on the wrong side of the bed this morning? Or the wrong bed? That happens to me sometimes."

When Reimu delved into her sleeve pockets for something to throw, Marisa laughed to calm her down. "Relax, Moo! I'll fix it! Tell you what, I'll help. Two of us can cover double the territory. And nobody reads Aya's rag anyway. Don't worry about it. Besides, I only told her the juicy parts."

"I'll have _your_ juicy parts if you don't shut up and follow along." Reimu stomped into the forest. "Keep quiet, while you're at it."

Sure to her word, Marisa clamped her mouth shut. She slung her broomstick across her shoulders, and strolled through the forest like she owned the place. She puckered her lips like she was about to whistle, but ultimately decided against it.

Most of the youkai remained woozy from last night. But their champion drinker lay sprawled under a cherry tree, dozing in a sunbeam. When they came upon her, the detectives exchanged glances. A lead?—could be. Good place to start. After losing at rock-paper-scissors, Marisa prodded the prostrate body with the tip of her broomstick. "Oi. Oni. Get up, would ya? We've got something to ask you."

Once shaken, Suika stirred. She stretched, wiggling her clawed fingers, wagging her horned head, and waggling her jaw open in a fanged-filled yawn. First priority, she gulped a swig from the gourd chained to her wrist. Blissful vacancy crossed her face. "Whazzup?"

"It's last night, at the festival." Reimu inched back, eying Suika closely in case she tried something dangerous. "Did you see anything suspicious?"

"Sus-pi-cious?" Suika squinted, which meant her thinker was working overtime. When the thinker quit, she resumed sucking on her gourd.

Ever helpful, Marisa translated. "Any weird people, she means."

Suika tapped her chin. "Hmm…there was this fancy-dressed man in a big blue box. Then I saw that pointy-eared kid in green with a short, fat flute—an ocarina, think it's called? And some six-armed guy who had all sorts of swords…"

Marisa chuckled. "Sounds like quite a party."

"So the border IS weakening," Reimu murmured to herself. She leaned back against the cherry tree. She was exhausted; this job wasn't helping. Maybe Meiling would pay well, but Reimu doubted it. _How much does a gatekeeper earn? More than a shrine maiden, I'm sure._

"Thanks, Suika," she said. "That's all we need to know for now."

Suika paused to sniff the air. Following her nose, she pawed around in the grass. Then her hand wrapped around Reimu's waist. She snatched Reimu by the ribbon and yanked her close. As Reimu squirmed in the oni's iron grip, Suika nestled her nose in Reimu's lips. "Your breath smells _gooood_," she slurred, squinty eyes gleaming. "Mount Ooe sake, right? Best stuff there is. C'mon, lemme have a taste…"

"S-s-Suika, that hurts…let me g—_agh!_"

"That's enough of that." Marisa bopped Suika on the head, distracting her long enough for Reimu to slip away. When Suika looked back, her arms were empty.

"See you next festival," Marisa called back, as she dragged away an irate Reimu.

"Did you see that?" Reimu cried, once they were out of earshot. "I won't put up with this level of disrespect! I'm the shrine maiden—sexual harassment is _out_ of my job description! What's _wrong_ with everybody today? They're acting like…like…"

While she groped for the right word, Marisa nodded expectantly. The answer came to her—"Like you!"

Marisa burst out laughing. "You're hilarious when you don't mean to be. Don't ask me why folks do what they do. Personally, I think everyone's all lovey-dovey 'cause they're still buzzed from last night." She smirked. "But for me, every day's a party."

"Aha."

"…And for the record, you smell like something crawled down your throat, built a nest, and died."

Reimu started. Nothing like the fetid fumes seeping from the pickled oni's mouth, she hoped. She exhaled into her hand and took a whiff. Ugh.

The trees rustled. Up in the canopy, a blue blur whooshed by, dodging the slapping branches and scratching twigs. In her wake, yellow pamphlets fluttered down like confetti. Reimu caught one and read it: "EXTRA! Murder at Scarlet Devil Mansion! Vampires Deny Involvement!" Below that, a subtitle screamed, "Outsiders?! In MY Gensokyo?! Has the Barrier Maiden Lost Her Touch?!"

Grousing, Reimu crumpled up the pamphlet and flung it into a puddle. For added effect, she incinerated the wadded paper with an energy bullet. Zing.

"Don't suppose we could catch her," Marisa muttered. It was admirable how, when she wanted, she could exaggerate or altogether eliminate her apparent responsibility for a situation.

Reimu moaned. "Too late. Damage's done."

They walked in silence for a while. As usual, Marisa spoke up first. "Look, we're not detectives. I'm a crook. You're a priestess. What're we supposed to do, fight crime?"

"My reputation is at stake," Reimu retorted. "As soon as people think I've gone soft, they'll be all over me. And if I go down, who's going to protect this land?"

Marisa nearly said a name beginning with "Sanae," but finally held herself back. Impressive. She didn't do that often.

"Enough talk," sighed Reimu—"work now. What do we have?"

Marisa rattled off the list: "So far, we've interviewed the first person at the crime scene, a sleepy vampire, and a drunken little girl. All admit something weird happened, but we don't know what. Nobody does. Enough to build a case?—I think not."

"There's more. Remilia acted strange, like she knew something we didn't."

"She's always like that."

"I meant more than usual. And if she's in on it, she can't have told everyone in her staff. Meiling went to me first."

"Which makes HER the prime suspect!" Marisa declared.

"What? Why would she do that?"

"Whoever finds the bodies is always suspicious."

"In fairy-logic, that's ingenious."

"Yow."

Reimu massaged her eyelids. "Remilia's hiding something. Nobody at the Scarlet Devil Mansion went to the festival."

"Maybe they got hungry," Marisa suggested. "Every meat-eater knows Gensokyo humans are tough and stringy. Now, Outsiders…"

"What? That's stupid."

"They're vampires. They must've killed somebody in their long lives."

"Oh, I'm sorry. That's stupid _and_ racist."

A twig snapped. Reimu glanced at the brush and bushes along the path. Doubtless, countless eyes watched them. The forest felt too quiet for comfort. She stifled a shudder.

"We'll look anywhere we can."

Every trail led to a dead end. Keine had no record of unusual history. Komachi didn't have time to comment, since she partied all night and missed her soul quota—if she had ferried the souls of any egregiously mutilated humans, she wouldn't have noticed. And Yukari picked the worst of times to be inaccessible.

Marisa was still aggressively suggesting suspects.

"What about Aya? She'll do anything for a scoop."

"She's unscrupulous, sure, but not the type to resort to murder—too stupid to get away with it."

"If we had Satori on the case, we'd read everyone's minds and know at once."

"That'll never happen."

"Moo, are you _trying_ to contradict everything I say?"

"No."

And then they saw the sign for the "Underground Geyser Center."

Marisa sparkled. "Hot springs!" she cried. "Let's take a break, Moo!"

"I swear, you've been waiting to say that all day."

"And Iswear that a good soak would clear your head. C'mon, I'll even pay!"

"Now you're getting somewhere."

They strolled through the front gates, marked with a cutesy caricature of Okuu proclaiming the joy and glory of nuclear fusion.

Marisa plunked copper coins down on the desk, and a grinning nekomata ushered them into the changing rooms.

At this stage, Reimu always balked. Without the proper clothes, she didn't feel like a shrine maiden anymore. Naked, she was just another girl, flatter and flabbier than she'd like to be, and awfully pale at that.

She was insecure enough _before _a certain witch started staring.

"Marisa, do you mind?"

"Not at all. Please, continue."

"Honestly, you…"

Wrapped in white towels, Reimu and Marisa plodded down the path to the fenced-off bathing area. The place was bustling with familiar folks. Many cast peculiar looks at Reimu. Others avoided eye contact. Some sniggered openly.

"Best ignore them," Marisa advised. Reimu nodded. At the water's edge, they slipped into the steaming stream with a synchronized sigh of sweet release.

"Why don't we have one of these at the shrine, Moo?"

"We'd need a century's worth of donations, that's why."

"Totally worth it."

Reimu slunk down and sunk up to her chin, gloomily blowing bubbles. Though hard to see through the haze, the satisfied smile on Marisa's face was plain.

"Say, Marisa. Things have passed through the border before, right?"

"We're here on vacation, and all you want to do is talk about work?"

"Call it a 'Eureka!' moment. And keep your voice down! Anyway, things make it through. People, and places too—Poltergeist Mansion, Scarlet Devil Mansion…"

"Moriya Shrine."

Reimu froze. She shot to her feet with a sudden splash, smacking Marisa in the face with a wall of water. "Of course!" she whispered. "The festival—it's connected! This isn't the first time they've hatched harebrained schemes, but this time people have gotten hurt. If anyone's responsible, it has to be…"

"Oho? Is that Mumu I hear?"

Reimu stopped and squinted through the steam. To her dismay, there were Sanae and Kanako, leaned back against the hot rocks. (So that rope circle floating behind Kanako _was _detachable—odd to see her without it.) Still…

"Sanae. I see you even wear that ridiculous frog hair accessory in the bath."

"More than you had on yesterday, party girl," replied Sanae with a supercilious snicker.

Reimu flushed. She silently begged every god she knew that she never learned what happened on the nights she got sloshed. _Now that I think of it, when I woke up this morning…_

She slipped silently back into the spring.

Marisa continued the conversation instead. "How's the shrine, ladies? Anything left standing? After last night, the place must be—"

"Milady Suwako is watching it now. Now that the anniversary festivities are over, we've accumulated enough faith to last us another year."

"Just think," said Marisa. "If you'd thought of this sooner, you'd have fewer harebrained schemes and more wild parties!" Marisa cackled melodiously, Reimu more malodourously.

Kanako choked back a chuckle. "Actually, we've amassed more faith in one night than Hakurei Shrine has had in its whole history. Imagine that."

Sanae slapped the water with her feet. She tittered and taunted, "Pretty soon, you'll be at our front gates, begging for handouts."

Reimu cast an envious glare. Faith wasn't all that Sanae had more of.

_Stop. Relax._

She closed her eyes and breathed through her nose. The steam seeped into her system, cleansing her body from the inside out. She could feel her head clearing. What a joy it was to think again.

"Ayayayaya! There you are!"

Oh gods. Not again.

Aya strode across the bathhouse, that damned notebook tucked into the towel around her middle. "Yo, Hakurei! Been looking for you all day. You might have read my morning report, but I need a follow-up interview for the evening edition. So…! How convenient that I find you here, kicking back at the hot springs! I could throw together an opinion piece on your support for nuclear fusion research, but I'll save that for another day. There's a killer on the loose! Tell me, have you given up the investigation?!" Even when she spoke, she sounded like a big, bold, obnoxious headline.

"Aya," said Reimu carefully, "where do you put your wings when you're not using them?"

"Eh? Well…" Aya nibbled her pen. "Trick of the trade, actually. I can't tell you, but it's somewhere secret and seldom-seen."

"Then why don't you take yourself, your book, and all your idiotic questions, SHOVE them in there, and STAY OUT OF MY LIFE!"

Aya scrambled away at the first sign of Reimu's rage. Although she turned back for one mild moment—"Does that mean, 'Declined to comment'?"

"_OUT. NOW_."

"I get it, I get it. I'll ask again tomorrow."

Aya turned to leave, only to discover someone standing in her way. In front of her loomed a tall, blonde, buxom witch wearing a lecherous leer and nothing else.

"Hey, crow-girl. Wanna find out how many ways there are to ride a broomstick?"

Aya chuckled hoarsely, feet frozen, knees knocking. Suddenly, she slipped on a bar of soap—she squeaked—but Marisa caught her in her arms. With a soft, soothing _shush_, Marisa stroked Aya's plump red cheek, fingers tracing down her neck, hand sliding underneath her moist towel. Aya blushed; Marisa smiled. Then with a snapping motion, she wrenched away the towel, twisted it, and drove Aya out of the bathhouse, rattail whapping at her bare bottom all the way.

Their hoots and howls hung awkwardly in the air.

"I don't think we'll be hearing from them again for a while," Kanako managed.

Reimu groaned. "I'll say. Marisa doesn't stick around long after." That girl had the strangest ways of showing affection, and they seldom lasted long. The only serious relationship Reimu remembered her having was—

Whatever the connection is between baths and brilliant bursts of inspiration, Reimu experienced it for the second time that day.

There's only one way to breach the border. Only I knew how…until now.

"Something wrong, Mumu?" Sanae glanced at her, idle concern in her eyes. "Hey…you're not looking too well. Need a drink? Fresh air?"

"No time!"

Reimu charged back to the changing room, thoughts racing. She didn't so much mind the peculiar looks, the stifled sniggers, or the shattered pottery in her wake. Her mind was sharp, fast, focused—an arrow swiftly sailing toward its target.

She tensed. Not here. Not there. Not here either. She rifled through every basket, ransacked every drawer. _It's gone. My shrine maiden uniform—gone! Down to the socks and shoes. A cloud of dread settled over her. This means…_

Desperate, she threw open a storage closet and pulled on a bathrobe.

Curious yet cautious, Sanae crept into the room. "Mumu? What are you up to?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Reimu stuffed her feet into wooden sandals, cinched up her sash, and tossed a grin at Sanae.

"I'm going to catch a killer."


	4. Chapter 4

That day, around dusk, the denizens of Gensokyo may have cast a casual glance upward to see a certain shrine maiden soaring overhead, clamping on her flimsy white bathrobe as she hurtled toward Scarlet Devil Mansion.

As Reimu flew, the mystery unraveled in her mind like a fraying rope. _Okay. So she wants to open the barrier on the night of the festival. She hatches a plan. After I'm totally smashed, she steals my stuff. (Gods, I hope that's all she did to me.) Wearing my clothes, she tries the Barrier Dance. Doesn't work—a portal opens elsewhere. People, Outsiders, pass through. Get slaughtered. She lies low while waiting for second chance. And she gets one. Stupid idiot, I practically GAVE it to her._

She suppressed a shiver. No thanks to her current state of undress, her nether regions weren't appreciating these altitudes.

She alighted outside the gate, at the edge of the mansion's magic barrier. She paused. There was a peculiar rustling in the bushes. To her horror, it was Suika, gnawing on a strip of raw leather.

"My shoe!" Reimu exclaimed. She barely stopped herself from snatching it away. Deep breath—"Suika," she said sweetly, "where did you get that?"

Suika looked over, a bright brass buckle peeking out the corner of her mouth. Through a mouthful of shoe, she replied: "Offa there." She pointed to the trail that snaked up toward the mansion. As the last sunlight slunk away, mystic mist seeped up from the grounds, shrouding the house in forbidding gloom.

Reimu gulped. A wave of unwelcome nostalgia swept over her. _Here I go again._

"Carry on, then." Like Reimu was strong enough to stop her. Although…

"Suika?"

"Yeth?"

"If I don't come back within an hour, I'll need you to go get help. Find Sanae, and take her to Hakurei Shrine. And tell her I said this: _the ritual must be stopped_. That's all. Can you do that for me?"

The oni bobbed her head. "Mm'kay."

Though she shuddered to leave her life in Suika's clawed paws, she knew no other choice. Reimu rose into the air and sped off for the front entrance.

Gate guard Meiling stood at her post—or rather, leaned back against it, arms folded, head down. A sizable snot bubble swelled and subsided from her nostrils.

When Reimu rocketed toward the gate, Meiling suddenly snapped to attention. Her eyes bulged. Yelping helplessly, she ducked out of the way. Reimu flashed past, bowling her over and showing the world Meiling's wonderful pink bloomers.

Briefly, Reimu wondered if she should apologize. Scrapping that notion, she glided up the path to the mansion. Through the flowers, up the steps—with a shout, she burst in the front door.

Someone was expecting her.

The head maid stood alone in the dark hall, a candlestick in hand.

"S-S-Sakuya!" Reimu cried, panting. "Have you let anyone into the mansion? Please, you've got to tell me! More lives are in danger!"

The maid leveled her glazed gaze. She said nothing.

"Listen to me, Sakuya. We need—"

A metallic glint sliced through the air and stuck in the door with a _thunk_. Reimu peered at it out of the corner of her eye. A blade quivered in the wood.

Sakuya glared. "None shall pass." A pocketwatch hung from her hand on a silver chain. Reimu turned to run—of its own accord, the door slammed shut. It wouldn't open.

"Sakuya," Reimu said slowly, "you don't want to do this…"

The candlestick clattered to the floor. The room plunged into darkness.

Suddenly, Sakuya's hands were filled with knives. They gleamed in the scant moonlight. An instant later, the knives flew at Reimu.

She darted aside—the flying blades thudded into the wall.

Time froze. More knives appeared in Sakuya's fingers. "I'm sorry, but you cannot pass," she repeated. "My mistress has commanded it." She flung them all at once.

Reimu dipped behind a pillar—a line of knives chipped at the stone, nipping at her heels.

She risked a peek out. A flying blade grazed her face—she recoiled. It drew a thin red line on her cheek and a dribble of blood from her skin. Reimu gritted her teeth. Gathering her courage, she leaped out to stand square with her opponent.

When she glimpsed her chance, Sakuya charged, clutching a fistful of knives.

But Reimu was ready. She kicked out, sending her wooden sandals flying into Sakuya's face. The maid deflected the petty projectiles—they disintegrated into dust. But it distracted her long enough.

One murmured incantation later, the Yin-Yang orbs materialized.

Shock registered on Sakuya's face. She leapt back.

Reimu counterattacked. Her orbs spewed a barrage of brilliant bright red bullets. Matched with Sakuya's speed, each one missed. Behind her, energy-bullets shattered a vase, splattered a marble bust of Vlad Tepes, and spattered molten candlewax all over a vintage Velázquez.

Sakuya seethed. With a degree of fury she reserved for vandals and art critics, Sakuya pulled a second set of knives from her apron. They arced in front of her, aligning in a deadly array. She spat in disdain, as if to say, "Eat this!"

The maid's blades shot out in circles. Every second, new flowers of flying knives blossomed in the darkness, popping up from different parts of the room. Reimu strained to keep up. With her time-stopping watch, Sakuya flashed instantly from point to point. She whirled and twirled, skirts swirling. She was untouchable.

Left—behind—far right—no, the left! The images blurred. Reimu's head hurt. Heart hammering, she sprayed a stream of crimson bullets into the center of the hall. Some struck steel, deflecting flying knives and sending them spiraling into corners. Others further damaged the house. None hit home.

With a sound like splitting silk, a knife nicked her ear. Wet warmth trickled down her neck. Reimu pressed back against the pillar, gasping for air. She had to end this.

There came a lull in the storm. Reimu seized her opportunity—she sprinted for the closest corridor.

Sakuya loomed in the doorway, eyes glowing and glowering.

Reimu retreated. Weaving to avoid more knives, she raced for the next exit. No good. And the next—Sakuya blocked the way.

"Give up," sighed the maid. "This isn't even your fight. Go home."

_I want to. That's the problem. But—_

Reimu dashed out into the open. Taking flight, she soared toward the ceiling. She went on the offensive. Crimson bullets hailed upon the hall from above…and they hit everything but Sakuya. Pots exploded, furniture splintered, and the stately stained-glass windows by the door disappeared with a euphonious crash-tinkle-tinkle.

"Have fun cleaning that up!"

At that, Sakuya snapped. "No flying in the house!"

Reimu flitted around the ceiling like a lost moth. For added insult to her opponent, she stuck out her tongue. The retorting torrent of knives nearly stuck her to the ceiling.

Reimu settled on top of the crystal chandelier.

"Aha! It's awfully dustyup here! Sakuya, you're fired!"

Roaring with rage, Sakuya let loose her whole arsenal. Reimu ducked down just in time.

Knives rained _up. _And amid the swarm, one lone blade slit the slender cord—down came the chandelier. It tumbled down in a single movement, a silent moment. Then it smashed on the floor with a deafening crash, releasing a cloud of crackling glass shrapnel.

Sakuya shielded her face with her hands. When the shards settled, she stood stock-still. In stupefied horror, she mouthed, "What will Mistress do to me?"

Reimu swooped down, startling Sakuya. She grinned.

"Catch."

The qi-bomb exploded magnificently. Blinding light flooded the hall and drowned out Sakuya's scream. What a noise! The blast ripped paintings off the wall. Wallpaper blackened and curled. Any intact glass soon fragmented into a million glittering pieces.

Sakuya crumpled in defeat.

Dress tattered, skin smeared with soot, mouth twitching—the maid was a mess. Briefly, Reimu was sorry she'd gotten so serious. Then the cuts on her face twinged. Serves her right, she decided.

Sakuya's eyes fluttered open. Her hands clenched. Reimu nearly knocked her out again, but Sakuya spoke before she could.

"I'm sorry," she said softly. "You're right. I never wanted a fight. But Lady Rem—"

"I know," Reimu replied. "You rest."

"Look…in the cellar. They're…there."

Reimu thanked her. Careful to float her bare feet over the glass-strewn floor, she ventured deep into the mansion to find her killer.

The cellar reeked of rats, mold, and rusty tools of torture. Reimu summoned a shining ball of energy in her hand. It shed some light on the dark, dank dungeon. As she descended the slick stone steps, she heard a gasp in the corner. She turned to look.

And saw her culprit.

"Alice."

The girl whirled around, face twisted in fear. She wore the uniform of a shrine maiden. Even now, she was pulling on one of the long white socks. No point, since she had only one shoe.

Alice stiffened and stood on guard. She clasped her grimoire under one arm and grasped Reimu's _gohai_ in the other.

Reimu allowed herself a smile. Everything fit together.

"So it wasyou," she said. "You've been spying on me. With your dolls! Now I understand. You staked out the shrine. You copied my dance, opened the gate." She shook with rage. "You…_butchered_ those people!"

Alice pursed her lips. A wan smile cracked her mask of indifference. It was as good as a confession.

Wait. No._ She's behind me, isn't she?_

Little feet in little shoes clacked on the cellar steps.

"Actually, that last one was us."

Remilia descended into the darkness, lantern in one hand and Flandre by the collar in the other. "If you must know, last night Flan got frightfully famished. So I let her outside. To our delight, food just _dropped_ out of the sky. It was even slightly alive when we got there." She paused. "Oh! I know that look. Don't judge me. I was going to clean up after, but then you showed up."

Remilia stalked toward her victim, a greedy gleam in her eyes.

The lantern flickered.

Alice shuffled over to stand behind Remilia.

Outnumbered, Reimu held up her hands to surrender. "You got me. Well played."

Remilia chuckled darkly. "Give up? Not enough." She grabbed Reimu's offered hands. She wrenched Reimu's arms above her head, slammed her against the wall, and clamped shackles to her wrists. Reimu dangled limp as a watch on a chain.

Reimu inhaled sharply as the cold steel bit into her wrist. It felt like a thousand tiny jaws gnawing on her bones, lapping up her blood, sapping the very heat from her flesh. She flinched, twisted, swung languidly. A few hot tears squeezed from her eyes.

Remilia grinned, a flash of fangs. "You like that? They're anti-magic manacles. With those, even _you_ would be weak as an insect." She stood on tiptoe and whispered into her ear. "Look at you, human. A pathetic creature of meat and bone, panting and sweating as you run through my corridors. How could you challenge a perfect immortal _vampire_?"

I can't scream. I mustn't. Reimu clenched her teeth, chewed her tongue, anything to keep her head together.

_Well, since everybody's in such a talky mood and I'm near my death, I'll try._

"Alice," said Reimu carefully, "why? What do you want from beyond the gate? Why would you—"

She fell silent.

Alice's eyes flooded. "I want to go home."

Her answer was a mere whisper. To Reimu, the truth sounded loud as thunder.

"Ah. So that's how it is."

Fighting back years of fears and tears, Alice cried, "And why shouldn't I? I've lived my whole life here. All my life, trapped in this crazy fantasyland! I was human once. I was, but I gave that up. I had to, to survive." She wiped her eyes. Grief gave way to defiance. "Not anymore. I'm going back. To the human world—to where I belong!"

Alice cracked open the musty tome. Living black squiggles writhed inside. Leafing through the pages, Alice settled her finger on the appropriate passage. "Here: 'The Barrier Dance—ceremonial duty of the keeper of Hakurei Shrine, established 1884. To reinforce the border, the shrine maiden dances daily at the dimensional intersection. She acts in secret so that none may interrupt her sacred office.'"

The book shut with a puff of dust.

"When I read that, I thought…what if I _reversed_ the dance? What would happen? Would the barrier break down? Could something—some_one_—pass through?"

Reimu froze. Hollow horror thumped in her chest. She lunged at Alice; the chains yanked her back. "NO!" she screamed. "No! How could you even THINK that?! You _fool!_ Never mind a few dead bodies—you'll kill us _ALL_!"

Alice cringed. Remilia merely laughed. "Hush, child!" she snapped. "You'll only tire yourself out."

She wanted to cry. She really did. But she couldn't find the strength.

Chains clinked. Not Reimu's. Instead, Flandre warily approached the strange girl hanging on the wall. As she shifted her weight, her prismatic wings tinkled. She sniffed the air. A wild smile split her face. She tasted Reimu's toes, tugged at the robe with her teeth—Reimu squawked in protest—and uncurled upward to stand eye-to-eye.

Now nose-to-nose, Flandre's gaze burned blood-red. Reimu couldn't maintain eye contact; she rattled her chains, but weakly. A small, chilly hand rested on her shoulder. In the back of her mind, Reimu wished she could fix her slipping neckline.

A fat red tongue lolled from Flandre's mouth. She licked her lips, and then she licked Reimu's. Though Reimu struggled, the smaller girl was stronger. The vampire kissed the drops of blood from Reimu's cheek. Then she sucked a steady stream from the nick on her ear. Reimu moaned…

"I should go," Alice murmured, sensing the mood.

"You probably should."

"I appreciate your hospitality. You took me in when no one else would."

Remilia nodded. "You fed Flan. That makes us friends forever."

While the others chatted, Reimu thrashed against the deathly embrace. She pulled away, twisting her neck, and spat in Flandre's face. The feral child shrank back. She scampered back to her sister's side, quavering.

"Alice," rasped Reimu, "what about Marisa? Will you just leave her behind?"

A sad, odd expression overshadowed Alice. "I don't know what you mean," said Alice. "Marisa understands me better than anyone. She'll know why I left."

Alice strode into the center of the cellar, where she would have space to dance. She caressed her dress. "Such power you have," she whispered, flexing her fingers. "If only you used it. You could do anything, you know. If nothing else, you could be rich!"

"Alice. You stole my clothes, thinking they would make you a shrine maiden. You took my weapons, thinking they would make you powerful. And now you're going to steal my dance, thinking it can get you what you want. You're wrong. It's more than things, money, and power. That paper-studded stick?—keep it. Money?—you should check my donations box sometime. Power?—oh, please. The only power in those clothes is what you put into them."

Alice laughed. "Maybe I should show you."

As Reimu and the vampire sisters watched, Alice danced. Reimu recognized the steps. It felt…wrong. Very wrong. Yet Alice flowed through the movements easily as Reimu would. How much she must have practiced!

"I can only open the gate from the Shrine," said Alice, "but from here, I can create a rift and hop through it. It's all in this book—higher dimensions, quantum entanglement, real creepy stuff. I can teleport. Within the Hakurei Border, I can go anywhere I want!"

A warm light enveloped Alice. To Reimu's utter astonishment, Alice laughed and smiled. "Tell everyone I said goodbye," Alice said sadly. "Of course, some I'll miss more than others."

She blinked out of sight—vanished.

Reimu gawked. Alice actually breached the barrier. Before, she'd believed it, but now she'd seen it. And it terrified her.

"Let me go," Reimu begged. "Please! You don't know what you're doing!"

Remilia chuckled. "I rather believe I do."

"If Alice dances where the borders meet, the dimensions will meld and blend. Gensokyo will be absorbed into the outside world. It'll kill us all!"

"Oh, is that it?" Remilia stretched and yawned. "All this exposition is making me sleepy. Flan, let's play. You can have the shrine maiden."

With a jump for joy, Flandre circled around her sister, spewing excited gibberish.

Remilia understood. "Oho? You want a chase? All right, I'll let you out, and we'll let her run. She won't get far. They never do." She patted the pockets of her frilly dress. She paused. "Now where did I leave that key…?"

When all else failed, she threw back her head and screamed like a spoiled brat. "SAKUYA! YOUR MISTRESS HAS NEED OF YOU!"

Nothing happened. Water dripped somewhere, as it always does in such cellars.

Sakuya was most likely out cold. But Remilia didn't handle insubordination well. She stamped her feet and had a terrible tantrum. Finally…"CHINA!" she screeched. "GET DOWN HERE THIS INSTANT!"

There was another painfully long pause.

Gentle footfalls drifted down. A small voice squeaked as she treaded around the hall's untidiness. Soon enough, those same steps passed the cellar door and tapped down the stairs. A red-haired head peeped into the black.

"You called for me, mistress?"

"China, you were half a minute late! That is unacceptable. You have twenty hours' remedial guard duty, starting tomorrow."

Meiling stammered, "But I already—"

"Do not question me!" Remilia's narrow brows furrowed. She gestured to her sister, who now salivated with anticipation. "Unlock Flan. Do the prisoner next. We're going to play tag."

When she noticed Reimu, Meiling squeaked again. Innumerable questions died half-formed on the tip of her tongue. Meiling had brought her here; Meiling had gotten her involved. Guilt clouded her face.

Reimu stared at the floor.

"China! Hurry up. The night is young, and you're slowing us down."

Hesitation slipped into Meiling's movements. Slowly, she doffed her cap to produce a rust-encrusted master key. Slowly, slowly, she plodded toward Reimu. Fear flitted behind her eyes. As she inserted the key in the lock, she leaned close to Reimu's ear. She whispered one word.

"_Run._"

The lock clinked. The shackles jangled down from her wrists. With her hands free, Reimu released a bright burst of energy, likely to incapacitate anyone whose eyes had adjusted to the dark—as it did.

While the Scarlet sisters shrieked in agony, Reimu dashed up the stairs.

"China, you imbecile! You've let her escape! Bring her back!"

A pointed hiss pierced the darkness. "I have a name. It's—"

"China! You obey me! Get her! Right now!"

"My name…is HONG MEILING!"

Radiant light, like a thousand splendid suns, erupted from the cellar. But Reimu didn't stick around to watch the fireworks. She shot out of the house and into the night, fast as a speeding bullet.

_Alice is in danger. The shrine is in danger. The whole land is in danger. Worst of all, my J-O-B is in danger!_

And as she left, from deep below the mansion drifted up one last scream.


	5. Chapter 5

Black stillness shrouded the shrine. Its unlit windows gazed blindly into the wood. Floorboards groaned, trees rustled, and in the distant darkness a night-bird yawped.

As Reimu strode under the _tori _gate, a squishy, squeamish sensation slithered over her. She shivered. Where the barrier stretched thin, she could feel the change. It was like swimming through thick soup, or slipping into a bathtub full of slugs.

Far above her, thunder rumbled.

Before the shrine, inside a square space set off by four flaming torches, Alice danced. And danced. And danced. Each time she completed the steps, she began again.

The wind whistled.

Reimu strode into the clearing. "That's enough, Alice."

The dancing stopped. "Are you planning to follow me all the way home?" she snapped. "Leave me alone!" She flipped open the grimoire, no doubt in search of its nastiest spells.

"Listen!"

Reimu gritted her teeth to hide her crippling dread—Alice might blow a hole in reality. "Inter-dimensional portals are such fickle things. How do you even know you'll even end up in the right world? Why should the gate obey you?"

Alice stiffened. "It _will_ obey me!" she retorted. "It _owes_ me."

Anger churned in Reimu's breast. No, not quite. _Rage_, more like. Ire. Fury. Extreme exasperation. Righteous indignation. She'd had enough; currently, she was prepared to inflict grievous bodily harm.

Reimu smiled thinly. "Alice, it'll never be enough. You're no shrine maiden. The clothes don't make the _miko_."

"Shut up!" Alice retorted. "You couldn't possibly understand how I feel!"

That did it.

"And what couldn't I understand?" Reimu expelled a reedy chuckle. "Your life must be _so_ hard, you living alone in your pleasant doll shop in the magic forest, with Marisa dropping in to take care of you. As you can clearly see, I live here, right here in this ramshackle old shack. The roof leaks; the floor creaks; the carpet stinks; the doors can't close completely; there's a nasty draft; and you should see the sort of visitors _I _get!

"My job's a joke. It's all about other people's problems. I fight a lot. I'll take on youkai_, _vampires…even freaking _gods_! And how do I get thanked? On a good day, there's a dead rat in the donations box. Do you know how many meals I've eaten nothing but weeds?!"

As Reimu stormed toward her, Alice cowered back. With a wave of her hand, Alice summoned Shanghai and Hourai. "Stay back!" she cried; she wielded the dolls menacingly.

"I've done the Barrier Dance every day since I could walk. Every. Single. Day. Come snow, or rain, or aches and pains! When my head hurts, or don't feel like it! When I caught the undead flu virus from my latest jaunt to the underworld. Need I go on?!"

Power prickled through Reimu's skin. Her hairs stood on end.

Overwhelmed, Alice sunk to her knees. She clutched her ears, quivering pitifully. "No more, no more…"

Reimu paused. _Maybe I overdid it. Let's try this again._

She tried relaxing. "Alice," she said, now softer, "you really don't want to do this. There's nothing for you in the other world. I've seen it—traffic, smog, and stupid noise. My duty is to protect this world. If that means keeping you here, I'll take on all the misery in all the worlds to do it." She rested a hand on Alice's shoulder. She strained to smile.

Alice looked up. She returned the smile, eyes glistening.

"Then you're a fool."

A blast of energy ripped through Reimu's body. Sprawling, she soared across the clearing and skidded to a stop on the stone steps, skinning her elbows and knees in the process. She leaped up to fight—or would have, had her limbs responded. Instead she merely twitched.

Alice smirked. "My pretty," she called, "would you come out? Keep this waste of space busy while I finish my dance."

A shapely shadow stalked out of the woods.

"As you wish, my precious thing."

Lying sideways, Reimu stirred. _The last piece of the puzzle—of course. _It made sense. There was a second accomplice. The one who robbed her at the bathhouse. The one who frustrated her investigation at every turn. The only one who could have hidden Alice's intentions from her, right in her own house! The only one…

Wicked laughter wafted from the dark. "You look terrible, Moo."

"Marisa." Reimu fumed. "Why would you…"

The witch tipped the brim of her pointy black hat. "Love hurts," she said simply. Gold-colored energy crackled in her hands. She flung it at Reimu and called out, "Master Spark!"

With a sharp gasp, Reimu rolled aside. The beam singed her hair, stinging the nape of her neck.

Cackling, Marisa sent brilliant balls of white lightning sizzling after Reimu. They bounced after her, scorching and torching whatever they touched.

Stumbling away, Reimu she fled for the trees. The witch strolled lazily after her, shooting indiscriminately into the brush, not moving in any apparent rush.

"All I do, I do for love," said Marisa, as while she hunted down her friend. "And I love Alice. Probably more than I should. But I only want my beloved to be happy."

Marisa froze and listened—muffled panting. The witch plunged her hand into a bush and hauled out Reimu by her hair. Reimu jerked against her grip, but to no avail.

Marisa laughed. "You look cold, Moo." She adjusted her friend's lapel. "Careful, you'll poke someone's eye out."

"Marisa, you—"

Bright red light emanated from Reimu's every pore. Even Marisa had the sense to get back. A qi explosion rocked the night—a circle of trees tumbled down, emitting a dry snapping sound.

With a wild cry, Reimu rocketed toward Marisa. The Yin-Yang orbs beside her scattered several strings of shining bullets.

The shots only grazed the witch. They barely fazed her.

There was a crisp whisper—"_Final Master Spark._"—and a titanic bolt of energy exploded from her hands. The resulting shockwave shook the forest; it flared out blinding light, blaring out a thunderous roar.

Reimu barreled through the blast, blocking the bolt with her outstretched fist. Leaping high into the air, Marisa alighted in a tree. Before her opponent could recover, Reimu released a dazzling blizzard of crimson bullets. They homed in on Marisa like an angry flock of birds.

Harrumphing, the witch pulled out her broom, seemingly from nowhere, and batted the bullets aside. When the bristles caught aflame, she blew out the fire with a huff. "How about a little fire, _miko_?"

Marisa tapped her battered broom on the branch. "Moo, you can't beat me. Unlike you, _I_ train my body. I've worked hard enough for both of us, and here it shows."

_Because _you_ have time to train_, Reimu retorted in her head. Her tongue wouldn't cooperate. Still smarting from the first Master Spark, she had plenty of trouble keeping on her feet.

She decided to bluff.

"Give up!" Reimu said, wringing her hands. "I won't fight you anymore. It's over!"

"…For you."

A screaming came across the night. A shimmering scarlet spear pierced Reimu from behind. It jutted out the front of her gut. She staggered, blinking. The forest floor blurred and lurched and suddenly became a lot closer. She tasted dead leaves.

Remilia emerged from the trees, brandishing her red spear Gungnir. Her childish face spread into a shriveled smile.

Her feral sister hung by her side, chains loose and jangling. Flandre pawed the ground—itching, craving that pure sweet blood.

Reimu got up, sputtering a mouthful of dirt. She touched her stomach. No lacerations. Only a thick red river leaked from her nose. She snuffled it back up.

Fortunately, the energy-spear could not harm her physically, but it hurt like hell—as she would know, being a regular guest.

Glancing around the battlefield, Reimu sized up her situation. First: her. Battered, bloody, barefoot, clad in a bathrobe on a bitter autumn night. Versus: two vampires and a master magician. Good odds?—no, but familiar ones.

"Fine," she muttered. "Take me on, take me out. I've beaten you all, separately. Hurt me. Kill me, if you dare."

"Kill you?" Remilia sniggered. "Please, too easy. After what I did to China for her—_breach of conduct_—I'm in the mood for a little fun."

Her expression a terrible leer, Remilia crept closer. Her wings beat the air with anticipation. "I don't always attack humans," she continued as she wiped away the saliva dribbling down her chin, "but when I do, I let Flan go first. After she's done, there isn't much left. However, tonight you've made me angry, very angry. And when I get angry…I get hungry…"

Cold wind rushed. One second later, Marisa stood between Reimu and the vampire sisters. She thrust out her broomstick. "This wasn't part of the deal," she warned, scowling. "If you so much as touch her, I'll—"

"Quiet, witch! Unless you want to be next!"

"One more step, and—"

Reimu looked back and forth, befuddled. What was happening? But before she could become sloppy seconds…

A terrible roar split the night. Space ripped like old cloth. A black crack streaked across the sky, swallowing the stars. All eyes shot toward Alice. The girl still danced, though an ethereal glow had settled over her.

"Get back!" cried Reimu. "The border is—"

Her words were drowned out by the peculiar noise the world makes when it breaks.

Even while the wind whipped at her skirts, Remilia just shrugged. "Oh well. Now, where were we…?"

A blue bolt sang in the darkness—silencing Remilia before her next monologue—and struck the ground between the witch and the vampires, tossing up a geyser of topsoil and fluttering leaves.

"Reimu Hakurei. You seem to be in need of help."

Kanako Yasaka strolled into the clearing, shortly followed by Sanae. The green-haired shrine maiden tossed her head. "You in trouble again, Mumu?" she called. A teasing smile played about her face. "Don't worry. We'll clear it up in no time."

Reimu gaped. Them, here? Now? How? Helping _her_? She didn't care—at this point, even her hated nickname sounded welcome.

"Has the keeper of Hakurei Shrine always been this weak?" murmured Kanako. "I find your lack of faith disturbing."

"So we may have caused you some trouble in the past," Sanae admitted—a gross understatement. "Not us this time. We have all the faith from last night at our disposal. Consider thispayback!"

Remilia glared at the newcomers. Unimpressed, she returned to mind her prey. She charged at Reimu, snarling and slavering, knocking Marisa aside, extending her claws and preparing to sink her fangs into Reimu's delicious naked neck when…

Another bolt from the blue barred her way. Sanae snatched the short girl by the collar and held her aloft.

"Get away from her, vampire brat."

Delirious with joy, Reimu could have kissed her savior.

Remilia hissed hideously. She squirmed. "You conceited, wretched human!" she spat. "Flan! Come!"

At her command, Flandre bounded to her sister's rescue.

Suddenly, another figure leaped from the forest, and with it came a silly laugh—Suika bounced by and pounced on Flandre. While Flandre thrashed and snarled, Suika only seemed to enjoy herself. Her horns, which easily could have gored a rhinoceros, instead _tickled_ the dreaded Flandre Scarlet into submission! Amid the scuffle, their chains tangled. They rolled off into the bushes.

Lately, Reimu had the hardest time keeping the fights straight—who was fighting whom, who was on what side, and which of them actually wanted her dead.

Tap-tap-tap—feet, and only one shoe, tapping on the cobblestones.

She jolted. Alice!

But when Reimu went to run at the dancing girl, Marisa tackled her. They crashed into the ground. Marisa straddled Reimu. "I haven't given up yet!" the witch whispered. Pausing, she smiled. "Well, doesn't _this_ bring back memories? Remember when…"

Screaming shattered the night. The clamor ceased; the fighters stopped to stare.

The crack in the border, like a weeping wound in the dark sky, pulsed and swelled to thrice its size. With a noise like crackling glass, the black gate yawned open.

For a second, light seeped through. With it came a reeking stench, and the infernal honking and beeping of what Reimu knew to be rush hour traffic.

But these things quickly vanished. The crack buckled, and shut, and then grinned even broader. Beyond it loomed infinite blackness.

Reimu's blood froze. This was not the Outside World. No, this was worse—far, far worse.

_She's opened a portal to the abyssal plane!_

"Alice!" cried Reimu, throwing off Marisa, "you idiot! What have you done?"

A harrowing howl oozed out of the infinite darkness.

"What's that?" said Sanae. She clung close to Kanako. "Reimu…what is _that_?"

Deep in the vast black, a presence moved. It sported many eyes, and countless ravenous mouths. It hungered. It thirsted. From the darkest corner of the multiverse, it lusted.

They gazed into the abyss, and the abyss gazed back into them.

Alice watched with horror. The _gohai_ slipped from her fingers; it tumbled upward into the void. "No," she whispered. "No, no, not this, not now…"

A dark cloud, shaped like a shadowy hand, drooled from the gate's black maw. It groped, grasped, grabbed. It searched for its summoner. It took Alice; she screamed.

"Oh, no you don't!"

Struck with Marisa's Master Spark, even the abomination from the abyss shrank back. It shrieked. Millions of jagged teeth gnashed in fury.

After the first, a seething swarm of shadowy hands reached forth from the gap in the world.

Sanae shot second. A chorus of blue bolts fell in harmony upon the army of black hands. As the shadows receded, Kanako joined in with all her strength, firing a blazing barrage of light to push back the darkness.

But the unseen beast fought back.

Smoky black fingers curled around Alice, ensnaring her in their grasp. She fell limp, speechless with shock.

Then a searing crimson spear penetrated the abyss, dispersing the cloud. The hands dissipated; Alice dropped into Remilia's embrace. "Honestly, girl," she muttered, "must I do everything myself?" She tossed a petulant scowl back at Reimu. "Shrine maiden! Close this thing before it causes any more trouble."

Reimu started. Absorbed in the scene, she forgot herself. No more. This night must end.

She shut her eyes, chanted the mystic incantation, and summoned her strength for a single strike.

_ I saved spring from a ghost sealed in a cherry tree. I brought back the real moon from endless darkness. I've defeated both of the gods of Moriya shrine, the resurrected youkai messiah, and an idiot-savant god-eating hell-dwelling raven-girl armed with a nuclear-powered arm cannon! With all my might, I WILL protect this land!_

Bellowing her fiercest battle cry, she fired.

The portal wrinkled and recoiled. The creature screeched. As its noise faded, the wound in the heavens slowly shrank, slowly healing.

The sky rippled again.

"Not enough!" Reimu sprinted over to Alice. She thrust an unsolicited hand in the girl's back pocket.

Alice squeaked. "What are you_ doing_?!"

"Just shut up, and stay still!"

Under Marisa's suspicious sidelong glance, Reimu withdrew a packet of _ofuda_. She flung the paper talismans into the abyss; they exploded uselessly. She swore—still not enough.

"Mumu, would you mind actually _helping_?" snapped Sanae, who was busy with Kanako, Marisa, and Remilia, blasting back the beast.

"I'm trying!"

Muffled scuffling came from the bushes. Even as the world around them threatened to collapse, Suika and Flandre tumbled around in the grass like a pair of squabbling kittens. Until Suika's clawed fingernail snagged a most important string—Flandre's mobcap loosened. The tiny vampire froze. As she watched in horror, a gust of wind plucked her hat from her head and sucked it into the unfathomable abyss.

First, she gasped. Then, her lip quivered. She quaked with rage. Roaring, she tossed Suika aside like a ragdoll. She screamed. Scarlet energy gathered in her upraised hand; it spread out long and thin. Finally, with a beastly screech, Flandre flung her mighty spear _Laevateinn_.

It pierced the darkness with a blinding flash.

Yowling, the creature retreated.

But the faintest trace of the portal glowed in the pitch-black sky.

"Now, Mumu!" shouted Sanae over the whining wind. "Close it! Before it gets back or brings more!"

Remilia hissed, "Shut the damn door, you worthless wench!"

"Fine, fine, I get it!"

Her heart pounded. Her hands trembled. But Reimu knew that she must dance. She needed some sort of stick—something long and round and…_ah_.

Driven by the wind, a souvenir from last night's festival skidded across the ground—a pinwheel. Good enough. Reimu snatched it up with a flourish. She settled into her stance.

_ Watch closely, Alice. This is what it means to be a shrine maiden._

There, barefoot in a bathrobe and wielding a pinwheel, Reimu performed the Barrier Dance. She flowed with the water, breathed with the wind—twenty-four steps, in perfect rhythm.

_ It's not the kind of clothes you wear, not what you have. It's what you GIVE that makes you who you are. I am the shrine maiden—and I protect my friends!_

The black gate sensed her spirit. It knew her. With a low groan, it closed its jaws. The shredded space stitched shut.

In a moment, the stars winked back on.

Exhausted, Reimu collapsed.

Silence lingered in the air. At last, Marisa let out a whoop. Giggling to herself, Kanako joined in, then Suika (although she admittedly had no idea what they were celebrating). Sanae simply smiled, and Remilia sufficed with a satisfied "Hmph!"

Reimu sighed. _Maybe I was wrong—I need a vacation._

Meanwhile, Flandre scrabbled all over in search of her missing mobcap. She looked right and left, dug through the carpet of leaves with mounting anxiety. She wailed. The gate cracked open once more—it spat out her hat, and then closed for good. Scarlet eyes sparkling, Flandre caught up her hat and hooted with delight.

Alice lay on the ground, trembling, while Marisa stooped beside her. Both glanced up as Reimu approached.

"What will you do to me?" Alice quavered. "I've done so much wrong. I'm sorry. I'll make amends! Just…is there anything, anything I can do?"

Reimu gazed down at her. A pang of pity wormed its way into her chest. "No need," she managed. "As you are, I'd like to think you've learned your lesson."

Alice blinked. "You're not mad?"

"Not at all." _I'm furious_. "Since, as it stands, you'll probably never get home," said Reimu carefully, "you might as well make friends with the rest of us. You know, as long as you're stuck here." She paused. "…Alice?"

"Yes?"

"Get out of my clothes. They look ridiculous on you."

"On the contrary," drawled Marisa, stroking Alice's hair, "I think they look rather fetching."

Reimu rolled her eyes. _Oh yes, fetching. She'll be fetching your newspaper by the time you're done with her._

"C'mon, girl." With a grunt, Marisa hoisted Alice on her shoulders, despite the latter's squeals of protest.

"I say we've fought enough for one day," said Kanako civilly. "Let's go inside and have tea."

Sanae exhaled. "After today, I'm dying for a drink. Don't you have anything stronger, like maybe…"

"SAKE!" sang Suika. She threw back her head and guzzled from her gourd. Flandre skulked around her, eyes flashing—and pounced. In a grappling scrapping heap, they disappeared back into the woods.

Remilia folded her arms and sulked. "Looks like Flan found a new playmate."

"No need to feel jealous."

"I'm _not_!"

Kanako chuckled. "Would you care to join for tea tonight? That is, if the mistress of the house doesn't mind." She cast a glance at Reimu.

Reimu swallowed. _Remember your duty…_

"Why not?" Despite her misgivings, she invited Remilia inside. As shrine maiden, she had learned long ago never to bear a grudge. Even if certain people tried to kill her today, they'd be fine for tea tomorrow. _Keep your friends close, your enemies closer_. And the saying was true, mainly.

"Sorry to say, I cannot stay," replied Remilia. She gazed up at the silver moon. "My servants need my attention tonight. We must have tea some other time."

A persistent thought niggled in the back of Reimu's mind. "I'm not sure if I should ask, but what have you done with Meiling?"

"Who, China? I gave her a time-out. Cleaning duty. She'll be picking up bits of glass sometime into the next millennium." The Scarlet Devil grinned wickedly. "And don't worry about Flan. She'll find her way home…when she's hungry."

Ignoring the unfortunate implications, Reimu gladly bade Remilia farewell.

After the others had gone inside for tea and _mochi_, Reimu remained outside, borrowing Marisa's broom to sweep up the courtyard. What a mess they'd made.

As she worked, she thought back to Meiling. Her insipid tea-leaf reading that never proved true. _Some terrible secret?—the end of the world nearly happened on my watch, under my own roof. Guess that counts. Conflict with a person I care about?—honestly, I've never much cared for Alice; the gloomy girl can leave forever for all I care, so long as she isn't conjuring up abyssal abominations in my backyard. As for Marisa, we've spent too much time together to ever get along properly. An unexpected friend?—I wasn't planning on having Sanae stop in for a fight tonight, and least of all for supper. And…what was that other thing?_

While she racked her brain, the sliding door smacked open. Sanae stood in the doorway, wreathed in light, looking flustered.

"Mumu! You'd better get in here! Marisa accused Kanako of cheating at _shogi_—now she's throttling my goddess, and Alice and I can't get her off! Hurry up, would you?"

Reimu sighed and set aside the broom. The work never ends. _And what is a shrine maiden but one who does her duty?_ She tromped after Sanae, into the light of laughter and games and song.


End file.
